That’s wonderful news!
The first thing I did was set aside all emotions and my instinct to mollycoddle them. Then I studied everything Cesar Millan does and started doing it exactly. I reinforced my place as the supreme boss by doing things like making them lay down and stay there while I walked away and did stuff. I go out the door and down the stairs and do everything first. I started walking them with leashes, even on the property so that I had total control, and took them closer to where the other dogs were and made them lay down and do nothing.
Talking about it makes it sound easy but it’s been a hell of a lot of work. I think the best and most surprising part is the one losing all her fears.
There is still a lot of work to do and my job is made a little bit harder because one of their dogs likes to bark at us, but they get after him and make him settle down. But I don’t think to myself “oh well his dog is barking at us, how can I expect my dogs to behave?”. I don’t care what’s going on around us, they must do as I say. And there’s no hitting or yelling either, I just keep reinforcing that this is my house, this is my yard and you (dogs) are lucky to be in my presence.
When we’re back in the house and collars are off, then it’s time to be all lovey dovey with them and give them lots of hugs and cookies.
This is an old thread, but I wanted to chime in to say that electrified fences are illegal in most urban/suburban municipalities.
Otherwise, thanks for the update FloatyGimpy… it’s a great story.